Dreams of the Seeker
by Silvergenji
Summary: A year after Will Stanton turned her life upside-down, Amy Howard is once again involved in the battle. However, things are not going as smoothly as she would have hoped... Sequel to "Paths of the Hunter". Updating again after three years!
1. Prologue: Ignition

**A/N: **Here's the promised sequel! Posting will be slow-going, but it's in progress! If you have not yet read Paths of the Hunter I would highly recommend doing that before trying to follow this story! Deep breath... Here goes!

**Prologue**

_It's always supposed to happen to someone else. _Amy Howard stared in numb disbelief as the flames engulfed the tiny house she had been sharing with her college girlfriends. The reddish-orange light flickered off of the trees and other houses on the street as the firefighters battled to get the flames out before the roof collapsed.

Amy watched as the red light played over her roommates' faces. They seemed to be feeling more than she was. Cassie was crying, and Jess had an arm around her trying to be strong. Sharla was swearing, but Amy could tell that under her tough exterior that she was scared to death. None of them had any idea how the fire had started, only that it had spread far too quickly and they were lucky to have all gotten out.

Amy coughed, having inhaled a little too much smoke. Something about the light reminded her of another fire, in another place and time. Somehow, she had almost forgotten about that. She could understand why she would think of it now, and for some reason she felt that the two fires were very similar. _But why would the Dark come after me, and why now? _Her hand went to the jade pendant she always wore, the one piece of jewelry that had become as much a part of her as her own limbs in the last two years. It was carved in the shape of a perfect circle, quartered by a cross, and right now it was warm from more than just the heat of the fire.

Her heart leaped, even as she watched her life go up in smoke. Maybe this fire was not so much of an ending for her as a beginning of a new adventure. She looked down at her cell phone, which had been right there on her nightstand with wallet and keys, half-expecting the phone to ring and for _him_ to be on the other end. She laughed at herself. Who was she kidding? She hadn't heard from Will Stanton for a while now. Nothing had changed in her feelings for him, but it seemed like everything that had happened back in Wyoming had been a dream.

She still heard from him on occasion, but not lately. Something was up, she knew. He was on the trail of the man that he was hunting, and he was close. She prayed that something had not happened to him, but she was pretty sure she would have known if that were the case. Her dreams would have told her.

The roof collapsed in a shower of sparks, and Amy jumped involuntarily. She remembered the other fire, and how desperate they had been to get out of that trap before it was too late. They had barely made it out before the roof went. Candace had suffered a lot from that fire, more mentally than physically, but the damage was done. Will had been drained of his strength, and Amy received a broken leg for all her trouble. And Cheng? Who knew where he had gone? She only knew that Will had managed to track him to the east coast after his escape.

She looked down at the cell phone in her hand again, and pulled her bathrobe tighter as she dialed. It was almost five in the morning, Eastern Standard Time. She would hate to wake him up, especially since he hadn't returned her calls in too many weeks, but she had a feeling that he would want to hear about this.


	2. Winter Morning

**A/N:** Not much to say this chapter, except that I think we're off to a good start. Reader responses at the bottom!

**Chapter 1**

The phone was ringing, flashing lights and vibrating alert disturbing the sleep of the man in the lonely bed. He groaned, and then dove after the phone as it shook itself off of the nightstand. "Hello?" he asked groggily, British accent thick at this hour of the morning. He listened for a minute, yawning, and then stopped in mid-yawn. "Say that again?" He untangled himself from the sheets and stood, pulling on his bathrobe.

"I said, my house just burned down and I think the Dark has something to do with it." The voice on the other end of the line was none other than Amy Howard, the college student that he had fallen in love with during an incident with the Dark last year. There was so much more to Amy than academics, though. She had a power, a gift of receiving visions in her dreams. She was the Dream Seeker. He knew it, and he knew how important it was. He wondered if she had quite figured out what it meant just yet. "Will? Are you listening?"

Will Stanton sighed, going to his window. It was dark gray outside, the twilight color of pre-dawn. "Yeah, I'm listening. You just woke me up, that's all."

"Sorry." She was sincere, if a bit anxious. "I just thought you might want to know about this."

He nodded, even though he knew that she couldn't see it. "You're right about that. Are you okay? Not hurt?"

"I'm fine. Disturbed as hell, but fine." He could hear her as she turned around to talk to someone, probably one of her roommates or a firefighter, and then she spoke again. "Anyway. I need to go. I'm going to see what I can find out about this, but I'll keep you posted."

"Right, then. Call me again as soon as you know what's going on."

"Will do. Love you. Bye." She hung up, leaving him lonely once again.

"Bye," he told the silent phone, and then set it down on his nightstand and looked outside again. From his balcony, he could just barely make out the shape of the Washington monument, monolithic against the cloudy morning sky. December had settled in with a vengeance in the capitol city, dumping inches of snow across the landscape of monuments and historical sites.

He sighed and looked over at the clock. There was no way he would be able to get back to sleep. It was Saturday, so he had nowhere to be, but once awake he stayed awake. That fact had cheated him out of so many hours of rest in the past.

He tiptoed downstairs, careful not to wake the couple he was staying with or their children. He was a guest of the Prime Minister's right-hand man, in the United States on assignment. His host was here with wife and kids in tow, and Will worried every day that they would be put in danger because of him.

He entered the kitchen, and started rummaging for food. Saturday mornings were quiet in the Davies household, mostly because the staff got the weekend off and Bran and Jane's two boys were teenagers and liked to sleep late. He would be the only one awake for a couple of hours yet.

He took his bowl of cereal and sat down at the kitchen table, turning on the light on his way. Bright yellow light filled the kitchen, chasing away the winter gloom, but it did nothing for the sudden bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Why would the Dark go after Amy? He supposed that he should have asked her about her Dreams, and what knowledge she might have had of any plans of the Dark, but he was still half-asleep. Did she know something that he didn't?

He snorted at himself. Right. Amy would have told him if there was anything like that going on. Wouldn't she? It had been a year since their adventure in Wyoming, and he had not seen her since that day in the airport. Who knew how her feelings toward the Watchman had changed?

He smiled fondly at the thought of Wyoming. The place had been so wild, and nothing like this place of politics and deceit. He had not been afraid to be himself out there, which was probably what had led to his romance with Amy. He still was not sure that it was a good idea. Amy was young, and impressionable. She was mature beyond her years, but she was still so much younger than the Old One in more ways than one.

Still, with all his frustration trying to track down Cheng, self-proclaimed new Lord of the Dark, he could use a sympathetic ear. Bran and Jane were his oldest, dearest friends, but they still had no memory of the events of their childhood. Will could not talk about the Dark with them, no matter how much he wanted to. Nor could he tell their sons, no matter how receptive both of the boys seemed to the idea of good against evil.

There was a knock at the kitchen door, and Will looked up from his bowl, startled. Very few people had access to that entry. This house was almost as secure as the Embassy, with guards and badge scanners and everything. Most people that were allowed to the kitchen entry had no need to knock.

He got to his feet, automatically scanning the area for signs of the Dark. There were none, and he opened the door. Bran's young assistant stood there, looking just a little disheveled. "Adam Hunter," Will greeted him. "You're up early."

"And so are you," the young man replied. He was about Amy's age, with all the vitality and ambition of that youth. Sharp gray eyes, much like Will's own, sat in a face that could only be described as handsome and intelligent. Will had no idea where Bran had found the boy, only that he was a great asset in Will's search. Bran had also been assigned to track down Cheng, which made Will wonder just what branch of the government really signed his oldest friend's paycheck.

"What's going on?" Will prompted, gesturing to Adam to join him at the breakfast table.

"I've found him, sir."

Will's heart leaped up into his throat. "Whom?"

"Doctor Cheng. He's gone into hiding teaching high school, of all things."

It didn't surprise Will very much. Cheng was notorious for spewing nonsense about a new world order, and what better place to spread the lies about the dark than a school full of young, impressionable minds? "What school?"

"One of the smaller private schools around here. It's pretty exclusive. He's teaching history."

And he probably wasn't teaching the version that most American students knew. Will frowned.

"What's wrong? I thought that you'd be happy to hear this." Adam looked truly perplexed.

"I am. I'm not happy with his choice of professions. The man does not belong in a school." Will had followed the Chinaman to a college in Wyoming, where the man of the Dark had worked for the railroad almost a hundred and fifty years ago. Cheng had found a large following there, full of idealistic college students who wanted nothing more than to get out of Wyoming and do something with their lives and the world.

He sighed, and then looked at Adam. "Do you think that you could secure an apartment for another member of our team? I have to talk to Bran first; she doesn't even know she's coming out here yet."

Adam nodded. "The apartment across the hall from mine is actually available."

"Good." Will reached for the phone. Amy's number was stored on his cell phone, but he had to admit that he knew it by heart. "Now that we know where he is, we're going to need her help."

He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Bran there, the white-haired man blinking groggily in his blue and white striped pajamas. "What's going on?"

"Adam here has found our man." Will grinned as he watched his good friend's tawny eyes widen in surprise, banishing all traces of sleepiness.

"And so now you're calling Amy?"

Will nodded. They had had this discussion several times already. Without explaining too much, Will had managed to convince his old friend that Amy would be critical to the success of this mission. After all, she knew Cheng's goals better than anybody but Will. She had seen them in her dreams, the visions that kept her awake night after night.

They had stopped what Cheng was trying to do in Wyoming, but Will still beat himself up for letting the Chinaman go. He had let Cheng escape in exchange for information that might let him save Amy and her friend Candace, even though Amy had specifically told him to not do any such thing. She was a better warrior than he was. "Yes, I'm calling Amy. You don't have to give her a paycheck; she's my guest."

"All right, then. Have an apartment arranged for her; we'll at least provide lodging while she helps us out." The pale man sighed. "I'm going back to bed."

Will smiled as his oldest and dearest friend retreated, and then turned to Adam. "Well, you heard the man. Stay for breakfast, and we'll get everything arranged."

"That's all right. I would also like to get to bed. I've been up all night and it looks like I'll have to talk to the landlordsometime today."

"All right, then. I'll see you later." Will watched as Adam left the kitchen, and then reached for the phone again. He really needed to call Amy back. With a mixture of excitement and dread, he dialed the number, wondering what the next few weeks were going to bring.

**Reader Responses**

Spader- I am glad that you are enjoying this, and I'm just barely getting started!

Lilliane- You're welcome on the comment, btw, you have a few more. I hope that now that I have your attention that I can keep it!

Eldrice- You have no idea how much I value your feedback. I hope I can keep my uncanny timing and continue to make blue days that much better! Yay for _in medias res_! (I think that's how you spell it; it's been a very long time since AP English...) I don't think there was any other place I could have started it.


	3. Reunited

Author's Notes: Yeah, so it's been three years since I last updated. Life has been insane. I apologize to everyone for the gap in time... but I fully intend to finish what I started! Let's see if I can get back into it!

**Chapter 2**

Amy looked around the baggage claim area, bags picked up long ago, wondering where he was. He was prone to disappearing without notice, so it would not surprise her at all if he didn't show up to get her. She prayed that it wasn't the case, but she knew that things happened. Things always happened around Will.

She bounced on her toes, impatient. It had been far too long since she had been held, and it was on account of this man. There had been a couple of boys at school that had asked her out, but none of them even came close to the maturity and sense of purpose that she so admired and outright loved in Will Stanton. She had missed him in many, many ways, and was very anxious to see him again.

As she watched the people from her flight collect their luggage and leave her standing alone by her suitcase, she spotted a woman with a sign. This woman was very pretty, with soft features and long straight brown hair. The sign she was holding up had Amy's name on it, and Amy felt disappointment surge through her. She had so hoped that Will would be here to meet her.

"Excuse me," she told the woman as she approached. "That's me."

"Amy! Nice to meet you. I'm Jane Davies." The woman's voice was soft, properly British, and just beautiful to listen to.

"Amy Howard." She took Jane's hand and shook it, relieved that Will had at least sent a friend and not a secretary. Will had spoken highly of his friends Jane and Bran. "I've heard so much about you. It's so nice to finally meet you."

"Good to finally meet you as well. Come on, the car's waiting." Jane smiled, and then led the way, and Amy followed, feeling self-conscious. The sight of a limo outside didn't help, especially as Jane headed straight for it. Swallowing anxiety, Amy handed her bag over to the driver, and then joined Jane Davies in the back.

"Nice ride…" What else was she supposed to say? She didn't know this woman, didn't know much at all. "Thank you for coming to get me."

"It's a little excessive, I think, but it belongs to the embassy." Jane laughed, and then reached into the mini-fridge to hand Amy a bottle of water, which was accepted gratefully. "Will was sorry he could not come get you. Official business kept him busy this morning. However, he should be done by the time we reach the house for lunch, and then we can get you set up in your apartment."

"Oh, good. I was worried that he had disappeared again." Amy chuckled, and Jane's smile was sympathetic.

"My Great-Uncle Merry used to do that. Will reminds me in many ways of the old man…" Jane spoke of an old relative fondly, and Amy kept her mouth shut. It seemed so strange that she should know the true nature of Merriman Lyon when those who had lived the adventure remembered nothing of it. "Very much alike, those two."

"Will is very special. I'm looking forward to seeing him again." Amy couldn't keep her hands from shaking, and she blushed at Jane's knowing smile.

"He is looking forward to seeing you again, too, you know."

"I hope so." Amy could feel the heat of her face staying red, and she looked away, out the window, watching Washington DC fly by. She had never been here; had never expected to be here. She was nervous about being here. She was going to be useless…

The rest of the trip from the airport passed without incident, Jane making small talk here and there, Amy more than happy to answer her questions, but also very fascinated by the scenery. Trees! So many trees! That was not something that they had out in Wyoming.

At last they pulled up in front of a stone house in a wooded neighborhood, and Amy followed Jane out of the car, the driver fetching her suitcase. She stared up at the three-story home, loving the colonial architecture, until she heard the front door open, and a familiar voice brought her eyes down from the gables and into the gray eyes of someone she'd been dying to see for a year now. "Will!" She didn't bother hiding her enthusiasm, running to him and throwing herself into his arms. How she had dreamed of this moment for so long…

He gave her a spin through the air, laughing, before putting her down. "Hullo, Amy." His accent was more pronounced, and she suspected that it was from living so much with his friends. He held her tightly, just as reluctant, she sensed, to let her go as she was to release her hold on him. But he did, gesturing to Jane and the man that the older woman had gone to stand by. "Amy Howard, this is Bran Davies, and you've already met his wife, Jane. Both are dear old friends of mine."

She blinked at Bran Davies' appearance. The man was pale beyond belief, with white hair, and very pale skin. She would almost think that he was an albino, if not for the color of his eyes. Those were a golden color, strange and different, and seemed to pierce right into her soul. She blinked, unable to help looking away to break that gaze, before reaching out to shake the hand that he offered. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Davies."

"Please, call me Bran." The pale man laughed, a quiet sound that was very much like Will and yet so different all at once. His accent was different, too, softer and more sibilant. Another part of Great Britain than his friend and his wife. "Any friend of Will's is a friend of mine, and I mean that."

"All right, Mr. D- I mean, Bran." Amy turned red with the embarrassment of the slip, but she recovered quickly, especially as Will's hand found hers and he tugged her toward the door. "Will!" It was a laughing admonishment. Maybe introductions weren't done yet.

"It's fine. Come on, I cooked." The way that he said it so proudly made her laugh, and she followed, feeling Bran and Jane doing the same behind her, heads close together as they whispered to one another. She could only imagine that they were talking about her, but with her hand in Will's, she really wasn't giving much thought to anything else. She was just glad to be back with her Old One, back with the man who held her heart.


End file.
